15 Famous People You Didn’t Know Were Adopted

Shortly after he was born, Jamie Foxx was adopted and raised by his mother's adoptive parents, Esther Marie and Mark Talley. Since then, he has had little contact with his birth parents, as they were not a part of his upbringing.

2

Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

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Nicole was born in Santiago, Chile. When she was six-months-old, she was adopted and raised by Italian-American parents in Marlboro, New Jersey. It was revealed on an episode of Snooki & Jwoww that she is in fact a mixture of Romani, Andalusian, Slovak, and Russian.

3

Marilyn Monroe

20th Century Fox Film via Everett Collection

Marilyn Monroe was born Norma Jeane Mortensen to Gladys Baker, her father was listed as Martin Edward Mortensen, but Marilyn never acknowledged him as such. When she was young, her mother was mentally and financially unstable, so she placed Marilyn with foster parents, Albert and Ida Bolender. During an episode, Gladys tried to forcibly take Marliyn back, but did not get her again until she owned a home. Not too shortly after, she was moved to the State Hospital of Norwalk and Marilyn became a ward of the state and began working her way through different foster homes.

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4

Bill Clinton

WENN

Bill Clinton was born William Jeferson Blythe III. His father died three months before he was born, and his mother left him in the care of his grandparents, Eldridge and Edith Cassidy for years. His mother remarried, to Roger Clinton, but it wasn't until Bill was fifteen that he took on the surname.

5

Nicole Richie

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Nicole Richie's biological father is Peter Michael Escovedo, a musician who once played with Lionel Richie. When she was 3, her parents had her move in with Brenda Harvey and Lionel Richie, because they were unable to provide for her financially. At first Lionel just became her guardian, but then adopted her when she was nine.

6

Kristin Chenoweth

WENN

Kristen was adopted when she was five days old by Jerry and Junie Chenoweth of Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, which is a suburb of Tulsa. They named her Kristi Dawn Chenoweth.

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7

Steve Jobs

Getty Images/Tim Mosenfelder

Steve Jobs was born to Abdulfattah Jandali and Joanne Schieble, but when Schieble’s father forbid her from continued her relationship with Jandali, she moved to California and gave Steve up for adoption. He was adopted by Paul and Clara Jobs, after they found out they could not conceive and carry out a pregnancy. His biological parents married when his maternal grandfather passed away and had a daughter all unbeknownst to Steve at the time.

8

Sarah Mclachlan

WENN/Brian To

Shortly after she was born in Canada, Sarah McLachlan was adopted by an American couple.

9

Faith Hill

WENN

Faith Hill was born in Ridgeland, Mississppi, where she was adopted as an infant by Edna and Ted Perry. She was name Audrey Faith Perry and raised with their two biological sons in a devout Christian area of Star, Mississippi, 25 minutes outside of Jackson.

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10

Ray Liotta

Splash News

Ray Liotta was born and adopted at 6-months-old in Newark, New Jersey by Mary and Alfrecd Liotta. He has a sister, Linda, that is also adopted. He knew at a young age that he was adopted and told his classmates during Show and Tell. In the early 2000’s he found his biological mother and discovered he is has some Scottish ancestry. He also discovered he has a half brother, five half sisters, and a full sister he didn’t know about.

11

Eleanor Roosevelt

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Eleanor Roosevelt was born Anna Eleanor Roosevelt to elite socialites Elliot and Anna Roosevelt. Eleanor’s mother died in 1882, and her father died two years later, leading her to be adopted by her maternal grandmother, Mary Livingston Ludlow.

12

Liz Phair

Splash News

Liz Phair was born in New Haven, Connecticut but raised in Winnetka, Illinois by her adoptive, upper-middle class parents, Nancy and John Phair.

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13

Babe Ruth

via Everett Collection

Babe Ruther was born Geroge Herman Ruth Jr. but was sent to an orphanage in 1895 at the age of seven. It was at St. Mary’s Industrial School for Boys that he met Brother Matthias, who taught him how to play baseball.

14

Nelson Mandela

Getty Images/Siphiwe Sibeko/AFP

After his father passed away, Nelson Mandela was adopted at 9-years-old by Chief Jongintaba Dalindyebo, the acting regent of the Thembu people.

15

Michael Bay

WENN/Patrick Hoffmann

Michael Bay was born in Los Angeles, California and adopted by Harriet and Jim Bay. Fun fact: his cousin, Susan Bay, is married to Star Trek actor, Leonard Nimoy, which led to his casting as voice actor for Sentinel Prime in Transformers: Dark of the Moon.